"MY FIGURATIVE PURSUIT"

Art Gallery Kimberley is proud to present “My Figurative Pursuit,” a solo exhibit of new artwork by Canadian artist Angelique Gillespie, in the gallery from June 6 through June 28, 2026.

Angelique Gillespie was born in Sydney, Australia where she was surrounded by the vibrant colours of a tropical upbringing. Angelique spent a lifetime turning creative persistence into art that uplifts and surprises. Her journey began quietly, drawn alone, in the dirt, at dawn, before the rest of the large household stirred, and has since taken her across two continents, through formal training, decades of teaching, and an ever-evolving conversation with her own imagination.

Angelique's work is rooted in figurative art, starting in a sketchbook and brought to life on canvas through collage, acrylic paint, bold outline, and rich colours. Her process is intuitive: she rarely knows what a piece will become when she begins, trusting instinct to lead until something unexpected and alive emerges. The influences that shape her visual language are as layered as the artwork itself, engineering drafting, the colours of the Australian landscape, and years of pattern-making as a quilting instructor all find their way onto the canvas. The resulting artwork is consistently uplifting, original, and personal.

Included in this exhibit is a moving series of paintings centred on a 92-year-old friend. Working from photographs taken eight decades ago, Angelique has painted her realistically against magical, surreal backgrounds — returning her, in image and feeling, to a time when she was young and free. It is the kind of work Angelique has always believed art can do: restore, renew, and remind us that hope is a choice available at any moment.

Alongside the exhibit, Angelique will offer two special public events, one on opening day, Saturday, June 6, and one on Saturday, June 27:

Artist Talk — “One Artist's Footprints” Using her own journey as the guiding example, Angelique will speak openly about what it means to live a creative life — the early resistance, the formal training, the years of teaching, and the ongoing pursuit of an authentic artistic voice.

Live Demonstration Angelique will demonstrate her process, offering visitors an up-close look at how intuition, mark-making, and material come together on the page.

Angelique Gillespie has been exhibiting in galleries since 1984. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Calgary. Her work is held in collections across Canada, the United States, England, and Australia .

Exhibition Dates: June 6 – 28, 2026 Opening Event: Saturday, June 6 — Artist Talk | Saturday, June 27 - Demonstration Location: Art Gallery Kimberley, 167 Deer Park Avenue, Kimberley, BC.